


Left in the Dark [Rework]

by corrupt_vault



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Addiction, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Eating Disorders, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, Everyone Needs A Hug, Gen, Heavy Angst, Homophobic Language, Human Allura (Voltron), Human Coran (Voltron), Human Lotor (Voltron), Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Insecure Lance (Voltron), Lotor (Voltron) Being an Asshole, Mental Health Issues, Multi, Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Self-Esteem Issues, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Slow Burn, Underage Smoking, everyone is human
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:06:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23212234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/corrupt_vault/pseuds/corrupt_vault
Summary: After a series of misconceptions, Keith Kogane finds himself isolated in a mysterious therapy home with a group of people who are around his age. With no plans on staying long, he debates getting to know them or not.But after seeing a familiar face, he learns that even those with the strongest fronts can have their weaknesses. Perhaps he could learn how to fully recover? Perhaps he could see the outside world alongside this group of people?Yet... he feels like he's missing out on the answers to millions of questions. Who are these people, and why are they there? What is this place?~~~Basically a mental hospital AU. A rework of the original. **Please read the tags!!**
Relationships: Ezor/Zethrid (Voltron), Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron), Lotor/Shiro (Voltron)
Kudos: 16





	1. The Cause of Misconceptions

**Author's Note:**

> Hello new or returning readers! My name is Loki. Welcome to the first chapter of the reworked Left in the Dark!  
> I'd like to say before I start- please read everything tagged, as I will be covering darker topics this time around, and diving into places that are far out of my comfort zone. It's not my intention to trigger something, so if you wish to proceed with reading, I will write a warning in the beginning notes of every chapter for safety. As well, every character is around 17-18+, since smut will be included this time around.  
> I will be taking this story at my own pace, so I can't give an idea of what the update schedule will look like. If you will, please proceed, and I hope you enjoy.

It started with a misunderstanding that was completely his fault. A misconception that led to the final straw in his already strained relationship with his father. Now he knew- the old man wouldn’t simply “brush it off”, he would take the situation very seriously. Almost to the point where he felt the need to tell him he was overreacting, but that would make matters worse and that was the last thing he wanted.

Being honest with himself, he wished the entire situation would be brushed off, abandoned like every other promise his dad struggled to keep. Broken, and never spoken of again. Denied when questioned, like the problem didn’t exist in the first place. This was bigger than a lost promise to go to Disneyland- the consequences were much larger, and would definitely become a pain in his ass.

He considered it a threat to his normally private life, or a danger to his antisocial personality. The lady at the office told him that he was being dramatic- no, being a “teenager”. She compared him to the other animals, the ones who used fangs to compensate for their lack of brains and charms. The animals who knocked each other down in the hallways, or shoved their friends into lockers.

Should he have taken it as a compliment? After all, for the first time since kindergarten he was actually being somewhat compared to his peers. In one of the strangest ways possible, but he gladly ignored that factor. A lone wolf since birth, forced to “make friends” with children who ran away at the sight of him. No wonder high school turned into a shitshow in two years. If he had waited, he could’ve spent his summer alone.

Instead he sat on his front porch, lips in a tight frown, and the sun clouding his vision. His bangs hanging over his face didn’t make the situation any better. With one hand, he lit his cigarette- if his dad got his way, it would likely be the last before he was shipped off to crazy-town. _All-fucking-aboard. _He grit his teeth, taking a long drag from the cancer-stick like a mafia boss in an old movie.__

Keith Kogane blew the smoke out of his nose, leaning back nostalgically. If this was the last day he would spend in his childhood home, he was glad to end it here. On the porch in solitude, blowing smoke, and wishing he could end his fucking life. It would be over by the time he arrived at the “happy place”, as his dad described it. He was sure that his father was doing this for his own good.

That’s what everyone had been telling him, after all. Neglect the fact that he hates his son’s guts, let’s place the blame on the son himself, right? Everyone was telling him that, so it had to be the answer. His other hand fidgeted with the lighter, flicking it on and off a few times for good measure before he shoved it back into his jacket pocket. Keith took another drag from his cigarette.

His dark eyes fell on two kids across the way, playing in the street. They looked like good friends- damn, he couldn’t recall the last time he had a friend who he could call at any time. James Griffin was too much of a stuck-up prick to ever bother talking to again, he’d smash his face in for a second time if given the chance. He absentmindedly traced the scar on his cheek, gritting his teeth.

Though he was sure any chance of seeing Griffin would be long gone within the hour, he wished the man could materialize right in front of him so he could land one final uppercut. For good measure, and his own enjoyment. Keith took one last drag of his cancer-stick, before his eyes fixed on the car pulling into the cul-de-sac. The familiar car held a sense of dread, and Keith already knew that trouble was coming.

He mumbled a curse, slamming the burning cigarette into the wood of the porch to extinguish it quickly, getting to his feet. There was disappointment looming over the car, increasing as it pulled into the driveway. Tension grew in the air at an alarming rate. Keith scoffed, turning on his heels to head into the house- he would dodge the bullet if he was given the chance.

Not only that, but he needed to finish packing before the argument began, or he would be leaving without his essentials… by which he meant his notebook, and MP3 player. Although he was very sure that he wouldn’t be allowed to keep the MP3 player in his room- god, he at least hoped for nice bedrooms. When he thought of a mental hospital, he imagined padded rooms, with himself in a straightjacket until he could get off on good behaviour.

As he shut his bedroom door, he listened for the sound of the front door creaking open. Moments passed with no sound, so he assumed he was clear, and not awaiting an argument once he opened that door. Instead, it would likely happen in the car, which sounded even less optimal. Keith slunk over to his bed, taking a seat next to his packed bag, only to shove his two remaining items into a pouch.

_Think about this. It could be great- if I’m lucky, I spend the entire summer away from him. As a downside, I lose my mind _. Even thinking about the place set him on edge. This had to be a cruel joke, another ruse by his father to make him improve his behaviour. He waited for the moment his father would come in, and tell him this was a sick joke. But the front door never creaked open, and the house fell into silence.__

He frowned to himself, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he got back to his feet. For all he knew, he could enjoy his time. Spend the entire summer away from his father, away from Griffin, all while doped up on some “good behaviour” medication. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, reaching into his jean pocket for his earbuds- if they attempted to take these away from him, they would have to pull them from his corpse.

There was no way in hell he would willingly part from his lifeline- no music, no cooperation. Although he was certain the owners of the establishment would say otherwise. Keith made one final round of his room, scanning the band posters coating the walls with a hum of nostalgia. He carried no true tie to this place- ever since his mother left them, his relationship to the place was a tight-rope.

With every step, he could either fall, or carry forward to another step. Every fall meant he had to climb his way back up to the rope, and struggle to continue forward in his relationships. Of course, his father made no move to help improve their relationship- constantly disappearing to hell-knows-where. Keith breathed a laugh, rubbing his face in irritation. If he could waste at least a month pretending to get better, that would be beneficial.

Not only to his slowly deteriorating sanity, but it would hopefully clear the air in the house itself. He leaned back against his bedroom door, hands wrapping around the cold metal knob. Once he stepped out that door, it could be quite a while before he returned. And though he wasn’t sure if he was prepared for that, he turned the knob, pressing more weight onto the door to make it shoot open.

From the driveway, he heard his father honk the car horn impatiently. He brushed it off, closing the door behind him with a click as his other hand began to fidget with the cord for his earphones. One second in his pocket, and they were tangled to hell and back. Keith grit his teeth, pulling his bag up further on his shoulder as he began to head to the car- if he had his way, the ride would be silent.

Though he was sure that all his dad wanted to do was talk to him- yes, he would love to have that conversation right now, especially after ignoring most of his messages for the last two days. All it was, was a misunderstanding that was taken out of proportion. That, combined with the arguments and disagreements with Griffin at the end of the year, landed him where he was currently.

Keith did, however, find it ridiculous how the argument with Griffin started. A spew of homophobic slurs from Griffin’s end, resulting in his now busted lip. Keith could argue that he deserved it for being a homophobic prick, but that didn’t cover the entire truth. As far as he was concerned, Griffin had a secret boyfriend, and put up his defensive front for his father. Not that he would ever admit to it, of course.

He shook his bangs out of his face, slamming the screen door behind him as he glared at the car in his driveway. His father, the preoccupied prick, never bothered to ask about Keith’s side of the story before deciding that this would be the best outcome, as if he had been waiting for years to send his son away. None of which Keith doubted, and wore proudly in his brutish attitude.

The dark atmosphere still loomed over the car, increasing the closer he got. Putting his earphones in his ears, he reached into his bag for his mp3, not caring what song could abruptly blast in his ears. As long as it played overtop of his father talking, he would be overjoyed. With a minor amount of irritation, he swung the passenger door open, slumping into the car, and throwing his bag onto the floor.

His father gave him a strange look as he did so, but made no comment. Instead, he turned up the air conditioning, frowning to himself. Keith pulled his seatbelt on, clicking play on his mp3 player. As _The Haunting _by Set it Off began blaring through his headphones, he swung his feet up onto the dash, leaning back in the car seat. He was sure that his father was continuing to give him a strange look, but he ignored him.__

Keith closed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. This was goodbye to his house for now, if he ever bothered coming back in the first place.

~~~

The car came to a full stop before Keith could manage to drift off, stirring him from his dazed state. He absentmindedly clicked pause on his music, rubbing the sleep forming from his eyes. His father shifted the stick to park, glancing over at Keith with a hopeful and grim smile that Keith wanted to punch off of his face. “We’re here, Keith.” He muttered, shifting his eyes back to the building.

_No fucking way _.__

Within the split second of Keith glancing at the place, he already felt like throwing up. It looked like a normal house- hell, it looked like it could be his grandmother’s house! The exterior was a disgusting off-white colour, and the eaves were on the border between green and blue. Every window gave him a shiver, like he was being sent off to prison. From what he could see, it was made of two floors, not including the basement.

Keith bit harshly on his tongue to hold back a string of profanities rising in his throat. Some drunk could come stumbling in and vomit on the place, and it would give it more colour. “This is it?” Keith asked, finally turning to look at his father who was already starting to get out of the car. Like he normally did, he expected him to turn back around and admit to this cruel prank already, but it was getting too real.

“The one and only.” His father said, pushing open his door as he got out. “It’d do you well to leave your lighter in the car. They’ll probably confiscate it either way.” Keith was grinding his teeth before he stepped out of the car, pushing his lighter deeper into his pocket as he crawled out of the old rustbucket. He swung his bag over his shoulder aggressively, grunting as something in his bag hit him between his shoulder-blades.

They walked into the building together, carrying their silence the entire way. The interior matches the exterior, with off-white walls, and a main level that looked like it could be someone's house. A staircase sat in the center of the entryway, leading up to what looked like a bunch of closed doors- bedrooms, Keith assumed. Off to the side of the entrance was another door.

Glass, although he couldn’t make out anything but shapes. He assumed it was some sort of office room. Behind the staircase, he could barely see an entryway into a kitchen, and another wall. He followed after his father, who appeared to know where he was heading… just Keith’s luck, he was heading to the glass door. Before they reached it, the knob clicked and turned, and the door slid open.

A woman, who appeared to be a bit older than Keith, stood in front of them, clasping a clipboard tightly in her hands. She had a smile on her pink lips, illuminated by the silver hair that cascaded around her face. “You must be Keith, correct?” She asked, her voice drenched in an accent that Keith couldn’t distinguish. Instead he nodded. “Wonderful. My name is Allura, and I am the owner of this establishment.”

Behind her, a man with ginger hair stepped out of the shadows, smoothing out his fabulously styled mustache. Like Allura, he already had a smile on his face. “Ah, the newcomer! Welcome! You’re in good hands, Keith.” He said, with an accent that was even more indistinguishable than Allura’s. Australian… that was the closest thing Keith could connect it to. Keith’s father exchanged a handshake with the man, smiling.

“Keith, Coran can take you up to your room. I will discuss a few things with your father, and come to fetch you to meet the others once we finish.” Allura said, looking back at the other male- who Keith could only assume was Coran. The ginger stepped out from behind Allura, greeting Keith with a warm and welcoming smile that felt too happy for Keith’s comfort. Too real.

As Allura pulled his father into the office, Coran held his hand out. “I could carry your bag if you’d like. Out of generosity, of course.” Keith’s dark eyes fell to Coran’s extended hand, and for a moment he actually contemplated giving him his bag. But that felt too cruel, even for Keith’s volatile nature. He pulled his bag further up his shoulder, flashing him a quick and crooked smile.

“I-It’s fine… I’ve got it..” He rasped, quickly clearing his throat after the words left his lips. Coran nodded slowly, keeping up his warm smile. “Alright! Come on then, to your room! The others have free time, they’re all in the living room.” He explained as he began to lead the raven-haired male up the staircase. Keith followed after him, sparing a glance at the wall he saw earlier- it had to be blocking off the living room.

A few questions popped into his mind as they ascended, none of which he had the guts to ask just yet. It was like Coran read his mind. “If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Your father said over the phone that he had a difficult time trying to explain this to you.” _Of course he did _. He wouldn’t be wrong, after all, Keith did ignore him for two days after being picked up from school that day.__

“I… do have a few questions, I guess.” He mumbled, pushing his earphones deeper into his pocket. Coran glanced back at him once they reached the top, but proceeded down the hall. “How many other people are here?” “Five others. And if you’re worried about them not liking you, they’re quite a friendly bunch.” Coran explained, coming to a stop at a door not so far from the staircase.

Keith frowned- naturally, he could only assume they would hate him. What about him would make them like him? Assuming they were all teenagers, they were probably just like everyone else at his school. He would be the talk of the town for a day, and then they would go back to ignoring him. Just like everyone else did. Before he could ask his next question, a black cat went zooming past them, and down the stairs.

Coran simply laughed, pushing open the bedroom door. “That’s Kova- he’s the emotional support cat for one of our inpatients. Very friendly, all bark but no bite.” He said, pushing back his hair. Keith nodded slowly, eyes fixed on the stairs for a moment more before he looked up at the bedroom. It appeared quite small- maybe a bit smaller than his old bedroom. And like the rest of the house, the walls were bland.

The ginger moved out of the way as Keith trailed into the room, taking in the small space. This would be his temporary home for what he could only assume would be months… he had to make the most of it. “Allura will come in later to go through your stuff with you- I noticed you had a thing for music. I’m sure she will let you keep your music player if there’s no way for you to text or call anyone.”

Keith’s eyebrows raised a little. He thought he had… oh, his Arctic Monkeys shirt was likely the giveaway. At least he knew he had a shot at keeping his music- then again, he wasn’t too sure of what kind of person Allura was just yet. She held a friendly demeanor, but that could entirely change once his father left. “That’s… fine.” He mumbled, throwing his bag onto his bed. White sheets and white pillows to compliment the walls.

It didn’t look like a padded room, but it felt the same way. The lack of colour made the room feel cold and unwelcoming, with only the blank walls staring back at him from every angle. “I’m sure we can get your father to bring some things from home to make this feel nicer.” Coran said, leaning against the doorway. “He can come and visit tomorrow if he wants- I know Allura will encourage it.”

“I doubt he’ll come.” Keith mumbled, before he could realize what he said. For the first time, Coran’s smile drifted into a concerned frown. “I’m sure your father cares about you.” He whispered. No point in dodging the discussion. “I’m sure he does. He just does a shitty job at showing it.” Keith growled, sitting on the edge of the bed. Coran nodded slowly in understanding.

Thankfully, he dropped the conversation from that point. “Well, we can talk about that more in our session tomorrow. For now, you can hang tight, and wait for Allura. It shouldn’t take her long.” His smile returned as he spoke, and he slid out of the room. Keith nodded, watching as Coran walked away, and briefly having the image of his mother walking away flash in his mind.

This was how it was going to be now. He had to accept that.


	2. Got Your Back.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith theorizes about Allura and Coran, while also getting the chance to meet the other poor souls in this place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I meant to update a few days ago but there was a huge sale on PS4 games and I noticed that the Borderlands Handsome Collection was only $17 so... I've been playing Borderlands 2 for the last few days... oops? But I hope quarantine has been treating everyone well?  
> Anyways, in seriousness, just a reminder to look at the tags! This chapter and the next chapter will be referencing some potentially triggering topics, and I don't want anyone to have a rough day. I'll give a warning at the beginning of every chapter with these topics, so keep an eye out.  
> Although the topic is only lightly brushed upon in this chapter, I just want to make sure that everyone is aware that this stuff will be referenced.
> 
> Also, if it is possible- if I ever accidentally write Pidge with the wrong pronouns, could you let me know so I can go in and edit it? I'm horrible with double-checking pronouns in my editing, and I don't want to misgender them. I'll get used to it over time, I'm sure.

For another ten minutes, Keith distracted himself with the zipper on his bag, finding a calmness in the sound it made as it was moved around the track. Until Allura arrived, he didn’t want to get too comfortable in the room- after all, Coran made it fairly clear that she had to go through his belongings first, which he dreaded. If he knew anything about mental hospitals, Allura would take one look at his bag and take the whole thing.

Most of his “important” possessions were on his person, and he doubted anyone would give him a good airport security patdown. For the five short seconds he had to meet Allura, she gave off the impression of an understanding woman, though he couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was something odd about both her and Coran. He could assume it was his nerves, and natural distaste for people.

But it felt like more than that. Like the two could be hiding a body under the floorboards and nobody would ever know because of the act they keep up. Keith knew that theory was too ridiculous to be true, but it did raise another suspicion in the back of his mind. Were Coran and Allura really keeping up an act? And if so, what was it, and why?

He fully unzipped his bag when he heard what sounded like someone coming down the hallway, keeping his eyes low, and his expression somewhat neutral. Keith had narrowly dodged a few questions with Coran, but he was sure that Allura wouldn’t be so forgiving. If she was the one running the circus, she would want to know more about who she’s working with, right? Keith reminded himself to be cautious about his words.

Maybe if he didn’t raise a lot of suspicion about what landed him in this shithole in the first place, Allura and Coran would both leave him alone. Hell, maybe the other inpatients would leave him alone before they even met him. He would be long gone before anyone got the chance to get too attached. That would be his ideal outcome, anyways. If he was lucky, the other inpatients would hate him.

Just like James and his gang, and they would leave him with no choice but to act out irrationally and be kicked out. Keith ran his hand over his face, letting out a deep breath. He had to remind himself- it could only be for a few weeks, or a few months. He’d be away from his father, and be free to “become a new person”. All he had to do was be on his best behaviour, and not start a fight with anyone.

Unless absolutely necessary. Suddenly, Allura poked her head into the room, tapping her knuckles on the doorframe to not startle Keith too badly. His dark eyes flickered up from the floor, and she gave him a gentle smile as she stood up to her full height. “Hello again, Keith… how are you liking the room?” She took a slight step inward, leaning against the doorframe. Keith raised his eyebrows.

To put it bluntly, he wasn’t a big fan. The size was perfectly fine for one non-cluttered person to stay in, but the walls… felt off. Too blank and cold for any sort of comfort- if his dad could bring him one of his band posters to spice up the room, it would be the one time he appreciated something the bastard did for him. “It’s… nice.. Kind of, boring, though.” He mumbled, trying to look Allura in the eyes.

She looked like she could be a world-renowned lawyer, holding herself up like a professional business woman. Yet at the same time, she looked as though she had no clue on what she was doing. “Yes… unsurprisingly, I hear that a lot.” She said with a gentle laugh, taking a few steps into the room. Keith shuffled over from his seat on the bed, in case she wanted to sit with him as they went through his things.

“I’m sure our other patrons would be fine with showing you their rooms sometime. A few of them have been here for a while,” she smiled grimly. “Their rooms are fairly close to what they have at home, I’m told.” Keith nodded, holding his bag out for Allura as she took a seat beside him. “Coran has informed me that there may be some personal items you want to keep? That I should be looking at?”

Again, he nodded, anxiously reaching into his pocket for his mp3, and avoiding any contact that could accidentally pull something else out with it. The last thing he needed was all of his personal shit being taken away. He held it out for her, and she smiled gently. “Of course… I’m.. not supposed to let patients keep cords such as earpods, but,” He looked up at her, and she winked. “You aren’t the first.”

Allura took his bag into her lap, and began sorting through the contents. Keith watched, chewing absentmindedly on the inside of his cheek. Some of the things she took away were making sense- he’d ignored the fact that most of these places tended to get rid of most drawstrings, because… some patients tended to get crafty, and even though he wasn’t one of them, he had to suffer the same fate.

Farewell to the drawstrings on his hoodies, he huffed quietly to himself and stuffed his mp3 back into his pocket. He’d ignore the lighter for now, so long as Allura didn’t decide to ask him to turn out all of his pockets. He knew how well that would go over, likely ending with the poor woman gaining a black eye that she really didn’t need… and Keith knew that wouldn’t get him anywhere either.

“Your father informed me that… you don’t own a phone? Is that correct?” Allura asked, glancing up at him through her eyelashes. He nodded slowly- he would be one of the only teenagers he knew that didn’t have a problem with a cellphone. All of his music was on his mp3, and that was all he ever needed to survive. He had no friends, social media was shit, and there was no chance in hell that he would ever contact his father.

Inevitably, he saw no point. “That’s.. Odd. It’s fairly common for people within your age group to have those things…” She mumbled, shoving one of Keith’s now stringless hoodies back into his bag. He shrugged, pulling his legs up onto the bed to cross them. “I don’t… have friends. So I don’t really have a reason to keep some sort of contact.” Allura’s forehead crinkled with bewilderment.

“Not even for a life or death situation? If someone kidnapped you, you would feel inclined to suffer through it?” She asked, looking up at him with blatant concern. She paused in her actions, sitting up straighter to try and get a better read on him. His expression was a difficult read, but he appeared a bit pensive and dismissive, as if he wanted the conversation to end as quickly as possible.

He gave her a shrug. “If it kept me away from my father, I would gladly go along with it.” His eyebrows raised at the look she was now giving him. “And it’s not because he’s abusive or any shit like that, I find him intolerable. His presence is a constant thorn in my side.” Allura’s lips twisted into a frown. “Why… Do you feel that way, Keith? I know it would be proper to wait until our private session, but this sounds like you want to speak up.”

Did he really want to talk so openly about his relationship with his father? Wasn’t the whole point to make it sound like he was getting better? He’d barely been here for an hour, and he was already digging himself into a hole that was too deep to crawl out of without assistance. He was already fucking up. “Maybe… It has something to do with my mom. How he has done nothing but lie about her.”

He wet his lips, dark eyes trailing to the ground so that he wouldn’t have to see the look in Allura’s piercing blue eyes. He knew that her expression would speak louder than her words. “I don’t… really know what happened to my mom. And he has done nothing but evade the question for the last thirteen years.” “You were very young…” Allura mumbled, balling her hands into gentle fists. “I understand. That’s why I started this place with my father, Alfor.” With a bit of surprise, Keith glanced up at her.

“Before he passed, my father kept it a secret from me. For years, I wondered what became of my mother. When he finally told me, he said that he had kept it a secret so that I wouldn’t be too upset about it…” She frowned slowly. “I was angry with him for a while… but I suppose now I understand why he never told me. He couldn’t forgive himself for what happened.” Something clicked in his mind.

If he was understanding correctly, Allura was using this as a chance to bond. She opened this place with her father to prevent the chance that other kids would have to go through the same thing she did, or worse. That… was pretty damn clever. “Do you think my dad just… fucked up? Now he won’t tell me because he can’t forgive himself?” He asked, fixing his growing mullet back behind his shoulders.

The female nodded, taking a deep breath. “There’s always the possibility. For now, keep your head up. I’m not telling you that you shouldn’t be upset with him… give it time. He might come around.” Keith chewed the inside of his cheek, nodding. Allura… had a way with words that he couldn’t describe. They held centuries of untold emotion, yet he understood that she was sympathizing with him.

She was familiar with how he was feeling, and it was her job to help him and work towards his betterment… and at the rate he was going, perhaps he had no other choice but to comply. He clicked his tongue, taking a moment to access her words. There was the chance that she was correct, and that his father was only keeping it a secret to not hurt his feelings- but they were beyond that point.

It hurt more not knowing what became of his mother. He was four years old when she vanished without a trace. Keith sighed to himself, watching Allura go back to working on his bag. Maybe he was projecting his emotions onto his father, but he reasoned that the bastard deserved it for staying silent about everything. Suddenly, she handed his bag back to him, keeping a pile of “bad things” on her other side.

“I will hold on to the rest of your belongings until you are closer to recovery.” She explained, getting back to her feet at the same time as Keith. He stuffed his hands into his jean pockets, swallowing his nerves as he looked at her again. Even with his father now gone, she still wasn’t acting like the angered dragon he had been expecting. She still kept her grace and kindness, treating him as a person and not as someone who needs severe mental treatment. Definitely not the personality he was anticipating.

“We can go and meet the others if you’d like. They’re all mostly in the living room area.” With really no other choice, Keith nodded, leaving his bag on the bed. Allura took the handful of “bad” belongings, clasping it behind her back with a smile as she led Keith out of the room, and back down the vacant hallway. The male kept his hands in his pockets, shuffling along behind her.

As he thought about the other patrons, he wondered what they could be like. This place was far from his home- but perhaps there would be a few familiar faces from high school? Some outcasts whose faces he might recognize, but never took the time to know. Or he was walking straight into a room of complete strangers, who would hopefully ignore that he was in the same vicinity?

He hoped for the second option, but also contemplated about how shitty it would be to know absolutely no one. Once he got out of here, he could pass by one on the street and they’d know him as “the emo from therapy”. Classy. “If you’re worried that they won’t like you, I wouldn’t be too concerned. Most of them are very accepting of everyone.” Allura explained, drawing Keith out of his contemplation.

Keith blinked a few times, before giving her a shrug. “Not… everyone has to like me..” He mumbled, digging his hands further into his pockets. His fingers twitched in his pockets- he almost wished he had considered bringing a pack of smokes with him, but that was part of how he wound up here in the first place. That, and Allura would take those away for sure.

“We can talk some more about your situation during our session tomorrow, if you’d like,” she said, throwing a glance over her shoulder. “I usually like to spend the first meeting getting to know everyone better, so it is entirely up to you.” Keith nodded in understanding. “Can I… decide tomorrow? When we get that far?” She smiled softly, nodding. “Of course. Feel free to take your time.”

Finally, the pair came to a stop in front of another blurred glass door, similar to the one covering Allura’s office. Behind the door, Keith could hear an abundance of excited shouts, though some sounded a little more displeased. Occasionally there was a small noise that indicated that they were playing some kind of game, but Keith couldn’t distinguish what sort of game. And given the displeased shouts, he assumed it was going well.

He assumed that it had to be multiplayer- like Mario Party, or Smash Bros. Two common games for groups of people. Allura gave him a reassuring smile, before gently tapping on the glass door- loud enough to be heard, but soft enough to not disrupt their game. Without missing a beat, she pushed open the door with her foot, but only one pair of eyes followed to the opening door. 

Keith was caught a bit off guard- they all looked mostly around his age, which came off as a little disconcerting. Five of them, four of which were holding Wii controllers, and- yes, playing Mario Party. Keith observed that whoever was playing Peach was winning, but that was besides the point. As of right now, he was the elephant in the room that they weren’t openly addressing, and thankfully.

As usual, he despised being the center of attention, so only having a few eyes on him was a rather comforting start. One of the first people to look up was a thin, supposedly Cuban male with choppy brown hair, who looked to be the closest to Keith’s age. His sharp blue eyes turned away from the screen, and it made Keith curl in on himself more than usual. Keith’s gaze shifted to the boy’s shirt.

The boy had no malice behind his look, but his piercing blue eyes were really hard to look at for his first glance. He was studying Keith like a closed book, as if he was searching for whatever button he had to push to open him up. Keith wanted nothing more than to curl into himself like a shrivelling grape. One by one, eyes followed to the doorway, full of curiosity, surprise and… resentment.

In the spot furthest away from the door, sat a tall-looking male, with long white hair that was styled out of his face aside from a suave strand of hair that hung over his right eye. Unlike the cuban boy, his dark blue eyes held no curiosity, and instead contained nothing but unbridled jealousy and resentment. If the devil could put himself into someone’s eyes, that would best describe the look the man was giving him. 

Silently, Keith observed that he had the black cat from earlier lazing in his lap, and his manicured hand was intertwined with the prosthetic hand of… a familiar face. Keith felt the majority of his tension die on the spot. A familiar face, scarred, but familiar. Part of the family, in a sense. He knew those grey eyes like the back of his hand, as well as the friendliness that shone brightly in them.

There was a distant memory of the man from a long time ago- and Keith could remember that his hair was entirely black at the time. Now it closely resembled an oreo. His name was Shiro, he recalled. All that time ago, he had told Keith to call him “Shiro”. A family friend of his father. Gracing Keith with his presence was enough to almost immediately settle his nerves- 

Aside from the obvious fact that he was holding hands with the man who looked like he wanted nothing more than to mount Keith’s head on his wall. Keith would have allowed him if he was given the chance, but he was certain that he would never follow through. Beside the cuban boy sat two others, both of which were now pausing the game to look over at the elephant in the room.

That was when Keith realized how out of place he felt. Depending on how long they were all here for, they likely all knew each other rather well- and aside from Shiro, no face was familiar in any aspect. One of the other members- a shorter looking kid with circle glasses and messy brown hair, looked up at him with interest. Eventually, their lips twisted into a welcoming smile, and they placed the controller on their lap.

Beside them sat another male, who looked like he could be the human embodiment of a teddy bear. With a friendly glimmer in his eyes and a gentle smile, Keith guessed that he would likely be the easiest to get along with. Suddenly he felt Allura’s gentle and guiding hand between his shoulder blades, pushing him forward so he stood beside her. Keith swallowed, trying to draw his attention to something other than his racing thoughts.

And then, although it was completely irrelevant, Keith wondered how much difficulty Shiro was having playing the game with only one available hand. It was enough to draw his attention away for a moment, before Allura spoke up and he came reeling back into his nerves. “Everyone, I would like to introduce you to our newest patron.” There was a subtle edge in Allura’s voice.

He wondered how many times she had to do this before, because he also had no clue about how long this place had been open. Or how long any of the other members had been here for. He swung his hand up with an awkward wave, before stuffing it back in his pocket. It felt like the first day at a new school, except that this new school was full of many potentially traumatized teens and adults.

“Uh… hi..? I’m Keith..” He forced the words from his throat, grimacing at how awkward it sounded. At how awkward he felt. It was something he hated, and thankfully had not grown familiar with. Most of the group offered him gentle and curious smiles, as if they were actually eager to learn more about him… maybe this wouldn’t be as simple as he had hoped. Maybe they would actually be interested in getting to know him- and he wasn’t sure if he was prepared for that outcome.

At the same time, the desire to push them away melted under their mostly kind stares. Aside from the glare he was getting from the one side of the room, it felt… tolerable. The energy in the room still felt like the four of them were playing their game, minding their own business, and he welcomed it. The first person to speak up on Keith’s introduction was Shiro, who gave him a familiar smile.

“My name is Shiro… but I’m sure you remember that.” He said, setting his controller down as his prosthetic hand was let go of. “I’m sure he won’t introduce himself, so,” Shiro looked over at the male beside him, before looking back at Keith. “This is Lotor. And Kova, the cat.” At the mention of his name, the feline’s ears perked up. Lotor gave him a begrudged wave, cocking an eyebrow as he studied Keith.

He shrunk slightly under his intimidating and harsh stare. Allura smiled, bringing her hand around to Keith’s closest shoulder. “You two know each other? That’s wonderful!” Keith took a deep breath, giving Shiro a brief but gentle smile. The teen beside the cuban boy was next to speak. “My name is Pidge, and… to be clear, I go by they/them. Just so you know.” They winked softly, pulling their legs up onto the couch.

Keith nodded- he was going to ask, but he wasn’t sure if it would be considered rude or wrong. There were a few kids he could recall from his grade that were trans, or were nonbinary- though no names sprung to mind. But he understood that it was the proper thing to call them, and he would stick to it. Beside them, the bigger male grinned. “My name is Hunk! I, uh, I hope I’m the friend-guy of the group.”

He sounded like he would be the easiest for Keith to attempt to open up to, and he almost wanted to thank him for that. Finally, the cuban boy spoke up. “The name’s Lance. But you can call me ‘The Tailor’.” He winked, and against his own will, Keith felt his cheeks flush. If that was his attempt at flirting… Keith wasn’t sure why it worked. In fairness, he supposed that he was attractive, and likely had a flirtatious attitude.

That had the potential to cause problems later on. “I-I’ll stick to Lance, thanks…” He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. Pidge snorted, leaning back into the couch. “Do you wanna join the game? Shiro’s been looking for a chance to get off, so you can take his controller. Lance is winning.” So Lance was playing Peach, from what Keith observed. He slowly nodded, and Allura’s grip on his shoulder was removed.

“I’ll leave you all to get acquainted. We will start up with proper activities again tomorrow, and dinner will be at six.” She said, shuffling out the door as she spoke. Keith took a seat in the empty space between Shiro and Lance, taking Shiro’s controller when the older male offered it. Pidge grinned at him. “We can start a whole new game and pray that Lance loses if you want.”

Lance rounded on them immediately. “Come on! Just because I’ve won twice already, doesn’t mean you can take this sweet third victory from me!” Keith’s eyebrows raised slowly, and beside him he heard Shiro chuckle. “They’re always like this, don’t worry. It took some getting used to for me and Lotor as well, and we’ve been here a while.” Shiro mumbled, and Keith turned to look at the pair.

Sometime between their introductions and when Keith sat down, Lotor’s fingers intertwined with Shiro’s again, but now he brought his attention to the cat in his lap. Luckily, most of Shiro and Keith’s conversation would fly under the radar against Pidge and Lance’s playful argument… at least, Keith hoped it was playful. Multiplayer games did have a tendency to ruin friendships though, from what he had heard.

“It’s… been a long time, Shiro.” He observed, frowning. “How did you end up in a place like this?” Shiro chuckled softly, glancing down at his prosthetic hand, and then looking over at Lotor. “I, uh… wound up in a pretty bad situation…” He smiled fondly. “I would still be in it if Lotor didn’t pull me out. I’m grateful that he did.” Keith observed the brief smile Lotor wore, before it vanished again.

Lotor did not come off as a friendly person, and Keith knew that they would end up clashing in the near future. “What about you? How did such a troublemaker like you end up here?” Shiro gave him a knowing smile- although many years had passed, Keith felt that Shiro knew him the same. He couldn’t recall the last time he had seen the man, but he was sure that he wasn’t too different as a kid.

“A couple of… issues at school and some misconceptions that my old man might’ve blown out of proportion.” He mumbled, shrugging. “Still having trouble with him, huh?” Shiro slowly frowned, his expression turning into what Keith would call a “concerned dad look”. “He hasn’t changed since you left…” “No.. I didn’t think he would…” His frown deepened. Keith took a deep breath, holding in his next question.

It would be more appropriate to ask everyone individually… but he didn’t want to come off as too nosy, or fuck it all up on the first day. He could make a guess on how easy it would be with Lotor… but he at least wanted the chance to keep things civil. “Is it okay if I ask… why is everyone else here?” He brought his voice to a whisper, though he doubted his question would be heard.

Lotor gently squeezed Shiro’s prosthetic hand, sparing him an encouraging glance as Shiro sucked in a breath, leaning back in his chair. “All different reasons. Life’s been pretty rough on everyone in here. It might be easier if you don’t ask them too much… especially Pidge, since I’m still learning what their triggers are.” Shiro explained, and Keith wondered if he was making the right decision.

He almost expected Lotor to tell him off for speaking so freely about the topic… but the male gave no indication that he gave two shits. “Lance was dealing with some eating disorders before he got here. He’s gotten much better from when he arrived… but I still don’t think his mindset is in the right place sometimes.” Keith nodded slowly, taking in Shiro’s calming voice.

“Hunk lost some people close to him.. His girlfriend was keeping him company for a while until she was no longer allowed to see him… he doesn’t go into much detail about it but he fell into a hole that he couldn’t pull himself out of, and… wound up here thanks to Pidge, who followed after him.” Shiro sighed, looking over at Pidge with sympathy in his eyes.

“Pidge… is one of the worst I’ve seen come in so far, but they seem to slowly be recovering. I would advise that you don’t bring any of it up to them until they get comfortable with you…” His voice dropped to a whisper. “From what they’ve managed to say, it sounds like they were a sexual assault victim. They haven’t caught the woman who did it… but I can’t imagine how sick a person must be to take advantage of someone like them.”

Now it was Keith’s turn to look over at Pidge with sympathy, who was still having a heated banter with Lance- though it sounded like they had the upper hand, and were player 1. And Hunk had his finger looming over the power button on his controller. “That’s… sick.” He mumbled, swallowing down the bad feeling that had begun to settle in the pit of his stomach.

“Lotor here doesn’t talk much about how he got here…” Lotor’s dark eyes shifted over to their conversation. “I don’t expect him to. He had a lot of problems at home, and Alfor was a friend of his family, so he forcibly took him away from his father.” Suddenly Shiro frowned. “I’m sure Allura told you about Alfor?” Keith nodded, glancing over at Lotor who was still watching him as if he were his prey.

It didn’t seem to ever end with Lotor, and with Shiro pointing specific things out, he didn’t expect it to. “And that’s… basically everything. I’m sure you’ll get to know more as everyone warms up to you.” Suddenly, the argument in the room died down, and Keith turned to look at the now black screen- presumably because Hunk turned off the Wii. Now Pidge and Lance sat in silence, sucking on their teeth as they stared at the screen.

And then the shouting began again, this time because the game had been shut off entirely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got a new non-Voltron related story in the works, so when that comes out, I plan to balance updates between the two works. As you can tell, this update didn't take too long from the original chapter, so... maybe updates won't be as infrequent as I thought? I'm not sure yet.
> 
> Reminder that the next chapter will talk about some darker topics, and I'll give another warning at the beginning of that chapter. Please have a good rest of the day, and thank you for following this rework so far!


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